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Sasensei - Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need tokens?

Tokens are necessary for reputation. If questions could be answered ad infinitum, then anyone could generate a high score - through chance alone.

Tokens are earned by answering questions correctly. The amount depends on the streak level:

  • Streak 1-2: No Tokens
  • Streak 3-7: One Token
  • Streak of 8 and above: Two Tokens

It's also possible to earn tokens by playing quizzes.

If you run out of tokens, balances are reset within 4 hours. If you can't wait that long, you can purchase (with Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash). Tokens can be spent on the following items:

  • Starting a new "Run" of questions
  • Submitting a question (costs 2 tokens but you earn tokens with every upvote)
  • Playing a quiz (you get them back if you pass)
  • Multiplayer
  • Creating a public quiz (2 tokens per attempt)
  • Unlocking levels
  • Bespoke urls
  • Certificate of Achievement

Why was my question downvoted?

There are a number of ways to write a bad question. Examples (no particular order):

  • Opinionated question (eg, what is the 'best' or 'most effective' way to do XXX)
  • Poor grammar / spelling mistakes
  • Images in questions that have large file sizes (these can be slow to load on mobile devices)
  • Use of unformatted code (use backticks or indent with 4 spaces to style as code)
  • Use of code lines over 32 chars (causes scrolling on mobile)
  • No links to further information (remember, the aim is to TEACH)
  • No explanation, just reiteration of the question (remember, the aim is to TEACH)
  • Question is too obvious / easy
  • Question is too obscure / not something a professional would or should know

Sometimes a question may be downvoted without good reason - and so a system is in place to prevent a review being triggered for already-proven questions. The rules are as follows (which apply identically to flashcards):

  • Question has 5 or fewer upvotes: Downvote by Yellow Belt or above will trigger review
  • Question has 6-10 upvotes: Downvote by Green Belt or above will trigger review
  • Question has 11-20 upvotes: Downvote by Black Belt or above will trigger review
  • Question has 21-30 upvotes: Downvote by Sasamurai or above will trigger review
  • Question has 31 or more upvotes: Downvote by Assassin or Sasensei will trigger review

It is necessary to provide some level of protection over the direct viewing of questions for a number of reasons:

  • To prevent scraping of the entire question bank
  • To limit ability to share own questions to 'game' the voting system
  • To limit the ability to cheat

However, being able to access questions directly is necessary for purposes of education (review), quality control, and for building custom quizzes. The 'rules' therefore for being able to access a question directly are as follows:

1) User is Admin (can view all questions)
2) User has rank Sasensei (can view all questions)
3) User is the question creator
4) User has commented on that question
5) User has quiz creation privilege
6) User has rank Yellow Belt and question is one of last 12 played in RUN
7) User has REVIEWED the question
8) Question is a public (linkable) question

What is the difference between Questions and Quizzes?

As you begin to play the game, you will take individual questions in "RUN Mode". Consecutive correctly answered questions will form a streak. You can view the last 12 questions you played in the Questions/Taken screen.

Quizzes are a feature unlocked in later levels (Sasamurai and above) and constitute groups of 12 questions with individual leaderboards. You can view all your previous quiz results in the Quizzes/Taken screen.